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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
3.7/5.0
Even after reading and reviewing this book, I still have mixed feelings about it. If I had read the back cover at the bookstore, I likely would not have picked it up. However, the book ended up being better than I anticipated and I think it is a good summer read.
The story takes place in California with chapters switching between the mid-90’s, when Becc is a teenager about to go to college, and 2008, when Becc is facing the consequences of the bad choices she made when she was younger.
Becc lives with her mom in the only middle-class house in front of a very wealthy condominium. Her best friend, Eric, lives there with his mom and her much younger boyfriend, Cal. He is rich and handsome and although Eric makes it very clear that he hates his young father-in-law, Rebecca can’t help the feelings of curiosity she has toward the charming Cal.
These feelings intensify when Cal offers her a job at his company. He takes her to lunch to celebrate her new job and they hang out a few more times. Before she knows it, they’re suddenly having an affair.
Rebecca Reardon – the perfect girl, dedicated student, and great daughter – is having an affair with a man twelve years older than her. Her friendship with Eric could never be the same. She’s having a hard time concentrating in class and she’s not spending any time with her friends since she’s always with Cal. He starts acting controlling and manipulative but gives her expensive gifts and promises a beautiful future with her.
When she realizes she is not being rational and decides to break up with Cal, he acts mature and seems to understand her reasons. But Rebecca has no idea of the damage that has already been done.
I didn’t love the book because reading about a young woman letting a man control her life like that can be so infuriating. On the other hand, the characters are very real and relatable. Which young woman hasn’t lost their mind over a crazy passion, right?
Overall, the book is good, beautifully written, and I understand why more and more people are loving Amy Doan’s books.
Even after reading and reviewing this book, I still have mixed feelings about it. If I had read the back cover at the bookstore, I likely would not have picked it up. However, the book ended up being better than I anticipated and I think it is a good summer read.
The story takes place in California with chapters switching between the mid-90’s, when Becc is a teenager about to go to college, and 2008, when Becc is facing the consequences of the bad choices she made when she was younger.
Becc lives with her mom in the only middle-class house in front of a very wealthy condominium. Her best friend, Eric, lives there with his mom and her much younger boyfriend, Cal. He is rich and handsome and although Eric makes it very clear that he hates his young father-in-law, Rebecca can’t help the feelings of curiosity she has toward the charming Cal.
These feelings intensify when Cal offers her a job at his company. He takes her to lunch to celebrate her new job and they hang out a few more times. Before she knows it, they’re suddenly having an affair.
Rebecca Reardon – the perfect girl, dedicated student, and great daughter – is having an affair with a man twelve years older than her. Her friendship with Eric could never be the same. She’s having a hard time concentrating in class and she’s not spending any time with her friends since she’s always with Cal. He starts acting controlling and manipulative but gives her expensive gifts and promises a beautiful future with her.
When she realizes she is not being rational and decides to break up with Cal, he acts mature and seems to understand her reasons. But Rebecca has no idea of the damage that has already been done.
I didn’t love the book because reading about a young woman letting a man control her life like that can be so infuriating. On the other hand, the characters are very real and relatable. Which young woman hasn’t lost their mind over a crazy passion, right?
Overall, the book is good, beautifully written, and I understand why more and more people are loving Amy Doan’s books.
I loved Amy Mason Doan's "Summer List" so much that I could not wait to read her new novel. Honestly, I might like this one even more. I was totally engrossed in Rebecca's story and enjoyed the suspense in the first part as I wondered who she was on the road trip with. I wish that her relationship with Francine was more developed, but that is my only criticism. This would be a great book for a summer trip! Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.
There is nothing more satisfying than that feeling when one of your most anticipated summer reads matches the expectations. This is a perfect coming-of-age story, with the bittersweet realizations that all the “bad stuff” will help shape the adult you become. Nostalgia blended with reality, first love juxtaposed with misogyny and sexist influences, friendships that stand the test of time. Amy Mason Doan has touched that summer-kissed spot in my heart, and has made me smile. That’s all that I ask of my books